5 Ways to Get Paid on A "Zero Budget" Film

"I Can't Afford You"

The one phrase so many within this industry hears a lot; how do you respond?

VALUE, VALUE, VALUE........

Let me say this as clear as I can get; You Don't Have To Say; YES. This is one area that for so long I failed at; I was a yes man. I thought I needed as much as I can to build my portfolio.

I WAS WRONG. Everyone in this industry gets instructed to take on everything and by everything, I mean FREE or EXPOSURE type work.

I'm not saying this is a bad thing and I'm not saying don't do this, but the problem lies within value. How does the client see you? How much have you invested in your craft? Time, and education to understanding the fundementals.

Some people would tell you to Charge what you're worth but I say don't charge what you're worth, charge what people would pay for what you offer.

Why You Shouldn't Charge What You're Worth

You are priceless, but your price should only be based on what the client is willing to pay. Convincing them of value of hiring someone like you and educating them is really your main job. Through your conversation, they should get value from what you say.

This is a strategy called Value Based Pricing. It is a method of setting prices based on a consumer percieved value. Even if a production has a zero dollar budget, you can still get paid. This all comes down to having the right mindset and the proper education.

Every gurus biggest mistake is not listening to what a Client really wants and comparing that to what they have to offer.

When to Say Yes to A Film Set Job

There is always a balance Young Padawan.

Here is the way to determine if you should say yes.....

You can have two of these things:

MONEY RELATIONSHIP

PORTFOLIO

If you dont get two of those things it's a no. If you get all three, woot woot!

Got it? Good.

How can I get paid off a ZERO DOLLAR budget?

Most indie-films are low budget or no pay and I do not agree with this mindset at all. One being that even a ZERO dollar budget has money involved and SECOND it is a respect thing.

Listen, if they tell you that they have a zero dollar budget and they can't pay you...

LISTEN, EDUCATE and GIVE a means of VALUE to them for FREE.

Help them shift thier mindset on why a zero dollar budget isn't really a zero dollar production.

The ACTUAL Cost of a Zero Dollar Budget

Lets break down the cost of a Zero dollar budget Film, YES...there is expenses. Nothing in this world is completely free. Let's say that this is a one full 12 hour day film set and we only have one actor and three crew members.

Food for Cast and Crew: Average cost per plate is around $15 dollars per plate. This would average to about $60 not including feeding the main person hiring you.

Locations: Yes, sometimes you can get lucky without having to pay for a location and sometimes people cut corners and don't aquire the proper permits but lets say you rent an airbnb. This is the most common route. In 2022 the most average cost for this is $167 per night within the state of Florida. Not to mention, getting permission from the Owner can be taxing, and sometimes impossible. Ethically, we never suggest doing a filmset without their permission.

Office Supplies: This is one thing people rarely think about but it takes Ink and paper to print the scripts, A/V scripts and schedules etc... On Average it will cost about $0.10 cents per page. Lets say the script is 5 pages Times by 4, the schedule is about 2 pages, A/V script is anouther 2 pages, Call Sheets another 4 pages. Then we need pens, notepads and filing folders for contracts. So we will put in about $50 for office supplies

Props: This varies widely upon what is written in the script but lets keep this down to the minimal for this blog. An average low cost production would spend about $100-200 on props and wardrobe.

Distribution: For this lets just say we want to distribute to film festivals. An average costs of good named film festivals will cost between $30 and $100. For this we will put $200 into film festivals.

So is a ZERO Dollar budget really free? No. When someone says they have a zero dollar budget, they most likely don't have the right mindset in place for thier production. They are actually devaluing their product by having this mindset. This is where you sweep in to give them value by educating them.

The above exampled zero dollar production is really costing them $577.00. No production is free, if they can afford this, they can afford to have a production done right.

"Clients who value you aren't born, they are made."

Becoming the Expert

This takes time. Your process and education takes time.

* If you get a No, or we can't afford you; this is actually a good thing. This in turn gives you leverage but don't be pushy. No one likes the pushy type, simply offer them some sort of value. 80% of prospects say no about four times before saying yes. This doesn't mean that they will say yes but a clear takeaway is coming into this mindset that sales is a long game and most of them wont close on the first call.

* Keep the Ball - After the first interview or call, it can be easy for most to shut down and not follow up. However, following up with them a few days after actually gives the potential client time to think. Most of the time they are on a time restraint and want to get a project completed, and this is where you come in.

* Be the listener not the explainer. I know you might have a bunch of questions, but this is the time to ZIP IT and listen. This is the most crucial thing for you and during this process you should be guaging their level of interests and determining if they are on the same page with you. It's okay for you to ask questions but only the questions that pertain to what they are saying.

* Be confident and positive minded. This type of mind set is very contagious and makes the client think about how you will be on set with them.

*Offer something of value to them. Most low budget films are organized by people without proper skillset but have the dream to make it happen. It can be as simple as sharing advice on how to make a production run more smoothly.

* Think Outside Of The Box. The producer or potential client has already heard the same thing a million times before during other interview calls. Be Different and think outside of the box. It is easy to hop on the phone with a potential client or producer and immediately start sharing your experience as a such and such role. Instead, get to know them on a personal level. Find out things that they like or what they don't like.

*Get Educated We suggest investing at least $1,000 per year on education that can further your understanding of sales, and the art form itself. Our industry is every changing, so investing in educating yourself, no matter your skill level can have incredible impact on your turnaround and your on site job communication skills and understanding of crew roles.

The questions I want to leave you with: Why would a Producer want to hire you for $1200+ per day vs someone else that is willing to do it for either free or just for cost of travel? A better way of phrasing it is; What makes you different than all of the other competition.

Change Your Mindset...

You Don't Need The Client, The Client Needs You